Yomiuri Giants 7 - Yokohama Bay Stars 3
It looked like the Bay Stars had this game in the bag, taking a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the 7th, but the Bay Stars bullpen couldn't hold down the Giants' offense and coughed up a run in the 7th and 6 runs in the 8th.

Hitoshi Fujii started his first pro game and gave up just 1 run on 6 hits and 4 strike outs over 6.2 innings work. He was set to get the win, with Kimiyasu Kudo recording the final out of the inning after giving up a single. But neither Kentaro Takasaki (.1 IP, H, BB, 2 R, 2 ER) and Shun Yamaguchi (.1 IP, 4 H, K, 4 R, 4 ER) were able to get out more than an out and surrendered 6 runs between the two of them; Yamaguchi ultimately got the loss.

Satoshi Fukuda started his 5th game gave up 3 runs (all earned) on 4 hits, 4 strike outs, and 2 walks over 6 innings. But it was Kentaro Nishimura (1.2 IP, H, K, BB, 0 R) that got the win for the Giants.

The Giants collected 6 hits through the first 6 inning and couldn't score a run; they got 6 hits in the 7th and 8th innings and scored 7. Seung-Yeop Lee (2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) hit 2 homers in his last two trips to the plate -- once in the 7th and once in the 8th. Michihiro Ogasawara (2-for-4, HR, R, 3 RBI) and Shinnosuke Abe (2-for-4, HR, R, RBI) also hit home runs in the 8th. Hayato Sakamoto went 2-for-4 with a double.

Ogasawara had 2,997 career total bases and recorded 5 in the game to give him 3,002.

The Tigers scored their lone run of Kodai Sakurai's (1-for-3, HR, R, RBI) 2nd home run of the season in the second. Tomoaki Kanemoto and Takahiro Arai both went 0-for-4.

The final and decisive run of the game came in the bottom of the 6th when the Swallows hit back-to-back doubles, D'Anton and Guiel, to push a run across the plate.

Masanori Ishikawa (7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 K, BB, HBP, R, ER) picked up his fourth win of the season and Chang-Yong Lim recorded his 9th save. Kubo was saddled with his second loss of the season and has yet to record a win.

Jingu
Attendance: 15,575
Time: 2h 51m

Chunichi Dragons 4 - Hiroshima Carp 3
The Carp scored first, but the Dragons took the lead in the bottom of the 4th when Tony Blanco (2-for4, HR, R, 2 RBI) drilled a mammoth home run off Kenta Maeda for 2 runs. But the Carp fought back with a run in the 6th on a sac fly by Shigenobu Shima (1-for-3, 2 RBI) that scored Soichiro Amaya (1-for-3, R) from third, and a run in the 8th, once again driven in by Shima, to take a 3-2 lead.

Unforunately, that wouldn't be enough; the Dragons tied the game in the bottom of the 8th on a Morino 1-run double. In the bottom of the 9th, with 2 out and no one on, Kei Nomoto entered the game as a pinch hitter for Shinsuke Saito (pitcher). After watching a fastball cross the plate for a strike, Nomoto drilled a triple to center. Hirokazu Ibata walked on 5 pitches and Kazuyoshi Tatsunami was announced as a pinch hitter for Masaaki Koike (1-for-3, 2B). Ibata stolen second on the first pitch, putting runners on second and third with 2 out. A ball and a strike later, with the count 2-1, Tatsunami drove a Tomohiro Umetsu fastball over the centerfielder's head to push the game-winning run across the plate.

Kenta Maeda (7.1 IP, 6 H, 10 K, BB, 3 R, 3 ER) started the game for the Carp, but it was the second pitcher in relief, Umetsu, that took the loss. Kazuki Yoshimi got the call to start for the Dragons (7.1, 10 H, 5 K, 2 BB, 3 R, 3 ER) and Saito (1.2 IP, 2 K, 0 R) ultimately got the win.

It appears the official mearsurement on Blanco's bomb might be 140m, but that seems much too short.